Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Blackboard - January 28 - Feb 4
In his commentary on Obama's Inaugural Address, George Will notes that one of the President's themes was "that Americans do not just have a problem, they are a problem." He then quotes Obama's reference to Scripture in saying, "the time has come to set aside childish things." In your opinion, are Americans a problem? In what way(s)? What are some of the "childish things" our nation/society/culture needs to "put away?"
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41 comments:
By the way, if you haven't already heard this through the AP grapevine, the vocabulary test will be delayed until Monday, Feb 2. Flexibility is the name of the game in our world!
This is strange I beat Alex to the first comment. I'm just messing with you Alex. Anyways, I agree with Obama. AMERICANS are the problem. We have became more and more dependent on the government to save us from our problems. The govenrment is NOT there to take care of us they are just supposed to be like a big brother. They can step in when needed not all the time. This idea of free healthcare is preposterous. I believe a qoute Tina said was and I paraphrase "The hobo down the street should not get the same healthcare as the president. That is just the way it is."
I completely agree with her. Certain aspects of healthcare are made if you have the money or the insurance to pay for it. The people of America have no work ethic. If they were to go out and get a job they would have money to afford insurance for their healthcare.
Like I said before the government is not there to take care of us. The American people need to realize this.
I think I felt shivers down my spine when Will mentioned that the government should be like a big brother. 1984 anybody?... Anyway, I think that certain types of Americans are the problem. For example, the people who do NOT want to try and get a job, or work hard to better their lives; they would rather live off of welfare. I think that it's lazy, yes, but mostly childish. Boo hoo, I don't want to work. If you are an adult, act like it.
When people throw a tantrums because they don't get their way, or what they want, society suffers. For example, MTV's My Super Sweet 16(ewww). There's not much more I hate then seeing a 16 year old violently sob in fear that a brand new Mercedes Benz will not be waiting in the driveway for her. Don't act childish! In the words of The Rolling Stones, "You can't always get what you want."
It's not the end of the world if your parents tell you "no" either. It is overbearingly childish when you see somebody completely beside themselves because they were prohibited from some kind of activity. That's just me though. Don't get me wrong, I'm not thrilled if I can't participate in a social extravagana. Maybe I'm just like that because I know what my ex-hippie parents' decision will be 97% of the time.
I think when we hear the term "Americans," we think of just the "average person," not the government officials, who are also Americans. The people of the United States are definitely the problem, but so are the government officials. Whenever a politician opens his or her mouth and makes a promise, everyone believes them. This sounds very much like a little child doesn't it? Children believe anything and everything you tell them, and the more time that goes by, the more gullible the American people become. If tomorrow, President Obama said we were going to start creating homes to live on Mars, the American people would believe him and start packing their bags. We don't second guess anything we are told.
The government officials are the problem because of their lies. How can we know who is telling the truth and who is not? If you ask me, the government needs to "set aside childish things" as well. The focus should be on the good of the public, not the good of just the government leaders. It sounds like we need to start electing some ideal citizens to Congress.
Alex when I said that government is like our big brother I didn't mean like "Big Brother is watching" kind of thing. I just meant if we NEED them then they are there. I do agree Americans who do not want to go out and get jobs are babies. Welfare is their only source of anything in the world. I can't stand half of the shows on MTV. They are all just shows about people who get what they want and if they don't they throw a tantrum about it and the American people are becoming just like that.
I disagree with Stephanie. I don't think the government officials are the problem. They are actually smart. They are using their own means to get the things they want from the American people. If American people would put away the childish need we have on the government, we would not have that problem
Actually Will, I, Beth Hicks, posted the comment in which I expressed concern regarding 1984. But I can see where you're coming from. The idea that the government can be a dependant factor in the American peoples' lives is a nice thought. I think that in some aspects it is unrealistic, because there are some childish officials. But, that's to be expected. I think that a vast majority of people involved in government are professional adults, but there will always be that handful who are corupt, or greedy, and in some cases childish.
Steph, I really like your comment regarding people "packing their bags to go to mars". Because the worst part is that you're actually right. I can see the scenerio playing out in my head. Most people, like you pointed out, hear a promise and think that it's automatically going to come true. When people act naive like that, it has a very childish connotation. Thankfully, not everybody believes promises coming out of politicians, or other government officials' mouths.
I do believe Americans are the problem. I think it's a combination of everything that goes on in America. Banks pretending like they have the money to give to people who want loans. Real Estate Agents telling people they have more money than they really have in order to sell a home. Government being too stuck and intertwined in itself that they can't do anything about it. America became a giant snowball of bad decisions into a bad economy. That's no one's fault but Americans. The problem with America having a bad economy is that it effects the rest of the world and they suffer too. It's not up to the government to fix things for America it's up to all the people. A good example is the high gas prices we used to have over the summer and the fall. Americans complained and disliked the gas prices so much that they finally learned to drive less and car pool more. The result? Our gas prices have come back down and I no longer think selling a kidney is my only option to get enough money to fill my gas tank. I think Americans need to learn to think for themselves and stop blaming everything on the Government. The Government hardly does anything except start wars and tax us. It's time for us to fix our own problems and take responsibility for getting ourselves into this mess. The government can guide us, but it's up to us to actually do it.
I have to go support my Willard Flashes, so I have to stop typing. :)
In my opinion, Americans are the problems. Many Americans go into the “woe is me” attitude and it is obnoxious. Everyone is having a difficult time no matter who you are. I just heard today that some groups had to cancel a charity event because they didn’t have enough sponsors. If that isn’t showing an economic crisis then I don’t know what is. The other attitude that I must say I notice many Americans have is “how the government wronged me” attitude. Our government officials are human beings and aren’t perfect. The ideal citizen is a great idea, but give me one political figure who doesn’t have some type of mud in their past. These different attitudes show how childish Americans are. We need to band together and actually do something productive and stop complaining. Complaining isn’t an appealing attribute to have and it can cause people to look down at us. Now, I know that these attitudes are difficult to break and it probably won’t happen anytime soon. Childish ways are always on the list on things to improve, but they are easily brought to the bottom of the list, just like those New Year’s resolutions that we all have forgotten about. American’s are stubborn and traditions in America are hard to break.
I do know that our leaders in the government are not going to be perfect people because no one is. I am thinking of the common sense that some of them lack. A great example is the Illinois governor, Rod Blagojevich, who tried to sell Obama's senate seat. You can not convince me that he did not know he was wrong. The problems like this are extremely childish. I am not saying that it is only the government officials who are being childish. Its just more obvious because the press is constantly watching them. And I do agree with Kelley that we need to stop complaining. Our life is getting harder of course, but we are still getting along just fine. The executives at the top of companies do not need to get bonuses, expecially after the nation just bailed them out from the loads of debt that they are in to keep their company from going under. They are already making a salary that is probably double of the average worker. This is why Americans are the problem. All we do is want, want, want. In times like these, we need to cooperate and GIVE to those who NEED.
Americans are, and always have been, the problem. From our upstart days, when we were throwing boxes of tea into the bay, Americans have never quite been satisfied with where they sit. Of course, we are all a part of that. There are the rich who horde money, there are the wanna-be rich who buy 300,000 homes when they have 3,000 in the bank, there are the middle class Americans who spend too much, and save too little. There are the poor who don't work. On the other hand, there are the rich who give to Africa, the wanna-bes who save before buying, etc. etc. To paraphrase, not everyone is the problem, but there is a problem with our population's mindset. I was discussing the nation's economic status last week at Sharpnack with a few fellow employees. One man, who has a few grand stored up (litotes), said that he will always vote for the man who keeps the most money in his pocket. Another told me that he doesn't believe now is the time to be helping other 3rd world, starving nations, not when we have our own problems at home. I was apalled! We have been blessed with so, so much. Of course now is the time to husband your money, but does that mean we cannot help those around us??? Problem A: selfishness and greed.
I am in agreement that Americans are a problem. As we have discussed in our World History class (yes, we got Mrs. Harwood off topic again!!) the epicenter of this problem is America’s feeling of entitlement. It’s probably one of the only things all 3 classes have in common. Everyone feels that they are entitled to have the “American dream,” so to speak. It really infuriates me to say the least. YOU are not entitled to anything, you must work for what you receive (capitalism anyone?). The worst part of our entitlement problem is that instead of creating consequences for Americans to solve this reigning feeling of entitlement, we are reinforcing the behavior! When one feels entitled to receive money, we send them a welfare check. When one feels entitled to health care, we bust out a socialist system. Come on! With this kind of reinforcement I honestly do not blame Americans for acting so petty and foolish. Lately, this behavior has gotten them pretty far. So I suppose the problem started with,and still remains the American people, but the government needs to help teach us a lesson. How does the government do this? Hmmm…perhaps they should get a little bit smaller and let the American people deal with the consequences of their actions, good or bad. Americans are creating terrible habits that will surely hurt us in many, many ways. There has to be consequences. The government CANNOT help everyone. We can only talk of sunshine, rainbows, and “raising health care’s quality and lowering its cost” (President Obama’s Inaugural Address) for so long. We need a strong dose of realism. We need the good, the bad, and in between, not just the extremisms. In the simplest terms (“simple”?), people will have to suffer for this problem to be fixed. Yes, people are most certainly suffering now (my aunt was laid off from her job of 35 years, and the company just closed), but that is just what has to happen. The government CANNOT fix all of our problems. I guess the thought is nice, but it just cannot be done. WE have to fix our own problems (what a novel concept). We are the problem, and we are the solution.
I agree that Americans are the problem these days. Sure, a bank could give out a huge loan and that may be dumb on their part...but people should have enough sense to know that they won't be able to pay it back. Americans seem more greedy and less honest too. We seem to be reverting back to the age where we want more than we have. We think that if we don't get what we want, or if we get into trouble, that its the government's fault. When in reality, the government is indirectly bailing us out continuously. I think that if we just stop reverting back to the "wanting" stage, and if people learn to take responsibility for their actions then i'm sure things could improve immensely.
After speaking of my aunt’s situation I felt compelled to tell you all how she is doing now. At first, she was very distraught and angry about the entire situation. Then she realized that being angry for the rest of her life wouldn’t get her job back, so she moved forward. She is now a crossing guard and a cashier at a local grocery store. These were practically the only jobs she could get without a college degree (she went into the workforce directly out of high school). The part that amazes me is that she doesn’t blame the government, or feel that she is above her new jobs. She actually loves them. It’s the first time in 35 years that she has gotten to work and interact with other people. The pay and benefits are pretty much incomparable to that of her last job, but she doesn’t complain. She doesn’t mope. She most certainly does not play the blame game. She simply does what she has to do to make enough money to live and send a daughter to college. She works for everything she has. And then she works some more. My point? If my aunt, who is a single parent without a college degree can find away to get back up on her feet, so can many other Americans…
“If there is no struggle, there is no progress.”
I personally have a hard time saying that Americans are the problem. Every time society starts pointing fingers we all seem to forget there is always an exception. I know that there are many Americans that know how to work the system and live their lives with no effort to better themselves, but there are also many Americans that work very hard every single day for what they have. Yes, they may never be rich or famous, but at least they have worked for what they have. They aren't living beyond their means like many Americans today tend to do. My mother sees this all the time in her classroom. Children come into school without the supplies they need, without a winter coat to go outside at recess in the cold, and getting free breakfast and lunch at school. Those same children talk constantly about the new game system they have and all the games for it they buy. Some Americans just don't have their priorities in order.
It seems that it would be common sense. Don't spend money you don't have. If you don't have the money to buy a coat or food for your children, you don't have the money to buy them the latest game system and all that comes with it. The way of thinking of the upper, middle, and lower class in America is said to be past, future, and present. In the past, the lower class really didn't have much of a choice. They were working day to day (working being the key word) just to have enough to survive. Today, there are so many opportunities for the lower class citizens to rise up and better themselves. The only problem is many of them don't want to WORK to better themselves. We can talk about it all we want, but the bottom line is, you can't help someone who doesn't want to be helped and isn't willing to put a bit of work in themselves. The part that gets to me the most is the fact that there are usually children involved. If you want to be a bum and spend what little money you have on cigarettes and alcohol, fine, but don't blame anyone else but yourself for the fact that you have nothing, and DON'T DRAG YOUR KIDS DOWN WITH YOU! If you aren't willing to better your life and work to provide for your kids and teach them to be working American citizens that obey the law and don't depend on the government to spoon feed them through life, then you don't deserve to be a parent.
I guess my point is, it’s not ALL Americans that are a “problem”, but there are some. They just don’t realize the never ending cycle that they are allowing to keep going. They teach their children they don’t have to work for what they have, then they teach their children, and it keeps on going. They want to blame everyone but themselves for their problems. I joined the Reach Our Youth (ROY) program and was a mentor to a young girl for a year. Neither one of her parents worked and her mother was constantly blaming the school and the teachers for her children’s problems and her ex-husband for her problems. It was everyone else that caused the problem in her mind, and still she did NOTHING to fix the problems. She just complained about them. Eventually, I had to get out of the program because the mother began to get nasty when I wouldn’t rearrange my entire schedule to meet with her daughter when it was most convenient for her. She expected me to drop everything else and focus on her. She seemed to feel she deserved my undivided attention because she was lower class. She had the attitude that many Americans share. The world owes them! These Americans that are the problem need to grow up and realize that the world owes them nothing because they haven’t even tried to make a better life for themselves. You have to work for what you have and be a good example for your kids.
I agree with Tina, Kyleigh, and Alison. We all are extremely greedy. Like I said before, all we do is want, want, want. It is true that not everyone is this way, but there is a very large number that is. America owes us nothing, especially if we never gave anything away in first place. I know this sounds EXREMELY judgemental, but a lot of the complaints come from the lower class. Of course it is harder in some cases because those people couldn't afford to go to college and have to deal with living off of a minimum wage job for the rest of their lives. However, some of them are downright lazy. They do not get a job because they don't want to work. I have a cousin who wants to make money by sitting at home, and he blames his parents for himself being into drugs and having a rough life. I think the word arete comes into play here. Americans the problem because we want to do as little as possible to get as many material items as possible. We might find that if we do more to help those in need in times like these, we would be happier than if we saved money and bought "stuff" for ourselves.
Greed has been brought up numerous times. I agree that greed goes right along with childish behavior in today's society. Tina pointed pointed out that a man at her work didn't think that it was necessary to help third world countries right now. That vaguely reminds me of an infant not wanting to share his gloworm.
I think that when people who are living in poverty, or living a life that isn't what they want, that they do deserve help. This is America after all. But I do think that the people living off of the welfare check every month don't deserve help unless they are at least attempting to get a steady job etc. However, I don't think that anyone's family in the class has necessarily been in the situation where they stop trying to find work and want to live off of the money they get from the government. And that's fortunate. I just felt that I was being a little too critical of those living in a life of poverty or lower class status.
We have all gotten so wrapped up in the idea of "gimme, gimme, gimme." Just as Alison said, our society is not willing to work to a solution; if they can't find a solution staring back at them, they immediately turn to the government and cry out 'help!' Of course not every company and person is like this. In every bunch of apples there are rotten ones and near-perfect ones. We, the viewers, simply have the tendency to only notice the rotten ones. Personally, I think we need to have a blog pretty soon about how amazing America is, or we're all going to turn into pessimistic terrorists! Okay, maybe that's a stretch, but honestly, have we praised America ever? We're always criticizing! Perhaps that's one of OUR "childish things!"
I agree with Tina that we are way too critical. I don't think I have said one positive word about our country yet. This country could be a million times worse than it is. We could be overpopulated to the point of starvation or not near as technologically advanced. Of course we have our problems of greed, selfishness, and complaining, and those are all childish problems. However, I would rather that our conflicts be about whether we can afford to buy a new car or not than whether we can afford to buy clothes AND food.
Tina and Stephanie make a point about how all of us have not said a positive thing about our country. The funny thing is we are showing a childish action by just complaining. We have it so good here and yes we have some citizens here who are not good representations of our country, but we still have a great nation. Now, I’m not going to the point that we are perfect, because that is a ridiculous notion. No one is perfect; in fact I think I stated that before. Stephanie is right that our problems are not as difficult as a problem in another country, but we still have people singing “Nobody Knows De Trouble I’ve Seen.” To be honest, this is really annoying and we need to get over ourselves. Not everyone is like this but we do have large amounts who do pity themselves. This is always difficult to talk about because I do feel for the lower class, but I’ve had to deal with so many because of my dad that I don’t have any pity for them. The ones that work and try to do better for themselves I have some sympathy and I’m glad that we have a welfare for people who are having trouble, but are trying to get out of it. It’s just the ones who don’t do a thing that really make me mad. It’s like the whole idea of the work ethic is gone and, like Kyleigh said, they are repeating a cycle. We do have a good country, but not all citizens match the greatness.
Obviously almost all of us are on the idea that Americans are the problem due to our greed. I don't really want to be pessimistic but the more and more I think about it we may never get the country bak on track. We have become so materialistic that we will NEVER be completely happy with what we have. We must always have more.
I must make a little side note. When I say "we", I do not mean all Americans just most.
Anyways, people don't realize that they may have to change their lifestyle drastically. They all want to live their own lives in their own world. Like the guys were saying at Tina's workplace, they will vote for who is going to get them the most money. That guy obviously only looks at government as a benefit to take care of his income.
We have twisted the idea of America. It used to be the place you could escape to and make a living. Make a living in that time it meant survive with a luxury every now and then. We have turned into America is the place to become rich. That is many American's dream. TO be on top and have large sums of money in the bank and own seven cars and five houses and a yacht.
So as long as Americans have this greed, America may never get back on track because our greed at this point is just going to progress on more.
Honestly, Will is probably correct. The world is morally sliding down hill. Yes, yes, there are the few that stand strong, but I'm willing to bet that the real Christians of the world are fewer in number than they were, say, 50 years ago. To me, the lack of religion - no, the lack of Jesus - is what has made our nation so, well, sinful. I know that when I'm not following Jesus my life falls quickly into a dilapidated mess, so, to me, having a nation's ethics fall for the same reason is pretty reasonable. Thus, to me, unless we insert God into the equation, we are going to continue on this downhill slope. I guess this is only somewhat germaine to the prompt and does not really answer the questions, but it was in response to Will's post. Oh well.
I don't think that Americans as a whole are the problem, but it is what we do as americans that causes that problem. We are constantly "looking out for number one" but we don't stop to consider others. This is what causes problems. There is a fine line between causing problems and being a problem. A person chooses to act in a certain way there in causing the problem. If people were a problem there wouldn't be a possible way to change it because you can't change something that is natural to a person, but you are able to change one's behavior. The natural and the learned behaviors of americans are different. We have learned to point fingers and say that people are the problem, but it's actually our actions that are the problem. We cause problems which means we can change what we cause. We are not physically the problem because we have the ability to change. Therefor I think the Americans cause problems but we are not necesarily the problem.I know this is opposite to what is being said but this is what i think.
I realize that I am in disagreement with the class, but really......when have you guys ever known me to just agree. The debator in me will never allow it.
I got to thinking about an example for my postition. Here it goes:
Poverty - Americans here are not the problem. We are causing this problem. As I said before, causing a problem and being a problem are two different things. There are people in poverty who have childrem before they are able to take care of them. This causes more poverty. There are officials who know that poverty must be lessened but yet they do nothing. This causes poverty. Poverty is a problem. Americans are the people who cause that problem. This is why I say that Americans are not the problem, we simply cause the problems we have.
Mrs. Moore - I want to say that the reason all of my posts are occuring right now at the last minute is because I was not able to access the internet for the majority of the time allotted for this post.
I also think that this topic should be brought into the classroom for a debate day. I love it when out class discusses things like this. It gives us the chance to really get to know eachother better.
Overall I agree with certain points that everyone has made, but I still believe that Americans are the cause of problems but we are not the problems themselves.
Many have stated that they want those who truly need help to receive such. Does anyone realize what a daunting task that is for a government to do? Where is the line drawn? How can we keep people from taking advantage of the system? It is a nice idea, but simply slightly out of reach. I mean, what is the definition of those who “truly need help.” It’s a system developed with good intentions, but simply has gotten out of control. My question is, if we believe that those who truly need help should receive it (which personally I do), why should the government provide this help? As Kelley discussed, her family does a lot to help those in need through their church. Many foundations and churches across the country do the same. This is the kind of help that these people need. It’s impossible to set up a uniform system regarding how much and what kind of help a person needs. The government has put forth a good effort, but in the end, such a system just becomes corrupted. In the words of one of my favorite presidents and political leaders, also referenced in Will’s article,
"A wise and frugal government, which shall restrain men from injuring one another, which shall leave them otherwise free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned - this is the sum of a good government”.
Wow! I'm hearing "greed, greed, greed" as the resounding cry of what's wrong with America. Several of you have also mentioned how people expect to be cared for by our gov't.
Precious generations took the responsibility of caring for their family members - those with disabilities, the aged, the ill and infirm. That all began to change when the principal means of livelihood was no longer farming and women began to enter the workforce. When we were an agrarian society, the father was around the home all day, working in the fields or in the barn, and the children and elders were there, too pitching in. Living was a family activity. As we began to industrialize, men left the homestead, meaning that women were in charge of everything. In the 30's and 40's women began to take jobs in factories while men were serving in the military and there was no one at home to care for family members who needed assistance and ...well, here we are. That's a very simplistic discussion, but our culture began to change dramatically when both parents had to leave the home to help make a living.
Certainly if our government begins taking care of more and more people, those people will become dependent upon a "nanny state" and will continue to vote for the politicians who promise to keep those welfare checks coming. Scary.
But now, let's focus on what Kelley has suggested - let's find some positives in our culture. Everybody submit one posting between now and Tuesday night at 8:00 PM that describes one thing that makes Americans awesome. Let's not be so hard on ourselves now!
The first word in my posting should be "previous," not "Precious."
I think the fun-loving attitude that is apparent in the lives of every American is what is awesome about our culture. Obviously it can hurt us sometimes, but just think of how boring life would be if we couldn't have at least a little time to relax and be happy! We have movies, sporting events, video games, books, vacations, cell phones, and many others that all give us some way to unwind from stress. In other countries, citizens do not have access to half of what we do to have fun. Even if they do, many of them are unable to afford it. This sounds like a shallow idea of the positive side of Americans, but I am sure for all of us that it's part of why we would not want to live anywhere else but in the United States.
In my opinion, Americans are not the problem, there are problems in American's society, but they are not the problem themselves. The things they do are the problem. It reminds me of our freshman year when Mrs. Zdriok told us "Its not you that I don't like, it's your writing." It is American's actions that is the problem, not Americans themselves. If people think in a greedy way, no one cares until that person actually acts in a greedy way. It is the actions that people actually care about, it is not the person.
The positive that I like about America is the whole concept of freedom of speech and how all have equal rights. Not all people have these rights and it's just awesome that we have the chance to live in this great country.
My aunt is a single mother, raising 5 children and a grandchild. I guess i based some of my ideas of Americans being the problem on her situation. Stephanie was right when she said it seems to be lower class complaining the most. I only say this because my aunt has 5 children from 4 different guys, she lives off of welfare and child support, and doesn't work. Not only is she affecting her life, but also her childrens' lives. Her oldest daughter just recently had a baby boy out of wedlock. She's not with the boy anymore either. So, that was another addition to my aunt's home. She lives fairly decent for not having a job too. Now, i think the government provides the lower class with too much. If you were living fairly decent with a family of 6-7 without having to work, why would you? The government is giving the lower class no reason to work for things if they just receive them for free. I love my aunt to death no matter what choices she has made. I disagree with many of her choices but, i wouldn't trade her for the world :)
I may not always agree with Obama, but in this case, I do (to an extent). However I don't think that the current state of America can be completely and utterly blamed on its citizens. Yes, there is definitely a problem with the way people think, but that is only to be expected since that is human nature. Ever since the fall of man back in the Garden of Eden, the world and all of its civilizations have had problems. After all, perfection was destroyed when Adam and Eve ate that piece of fruit. So yes, Americans have a problem, but I do not think you can say that it is strictly Americans who are the problem. It is mankind that is the problem. The band Downhere sings a song called "The Problem" in which they say "And since I was a kid you know I've caused a lot of hurt,
And no one ever taught me how to put myself first, It came so very naturally..." People do not have to be taught to be selfish. They have to be taught how to be selfLESS. So the problem is not that Americans are selfish and they are the only ones in the world like that. No, it is more of a problem that Americans have not been taught how to think about others before themselves. Other cultures have different moral codes, and some of them are a lot better off (perhaps not economically speaking, but in happiness, they excel far beyond Americans) because they are raised and taught to put others before themselves. (Sounds a lot like the Greeks' ideal citizen.)
So, yes, people do need to put childish things behind them. They need to learn that "me" should not be the number one priority. There are so many more important things out there and Americans as a rule seem to be missing that. We need to learn to be thankful for our wonderful country which has been blessed with freedoms that cannot be found in much of the world. We have been blessed to be one of the most powerful countries in the world which allows us to not have to worry about being attacked or abused by other nations. We are blessed, and we need to realize this. And after we come to that conclusion we need to put the childish "me mentality" behind us and start thinking about and caring for the rest of the world. With the riches we have, there is so much good we could do. But we don't do it because, as Beth said, we are more worried about ourselves, hoping to get the fancy car or computer or whatever it may be. If we look beyond ourselves and start striving for the betterment of God's creation, we will find ourselves so much happier. Concentrating on the things that serve only ourselves is never going to be enough. That is the mentality of America currently and that is why the ecomonic situation is less than spectacular. We are so concerned with ourselves and our comfort that we have lost sight of the bigger picture. It never crosses anyone's mind that maybe, just maybe, if we spent a little more time helping others, that our lives would be better as well.
Describe one thing that makes America awesome? It’s hard to choose just one because there are so many. I love our opportunity to question. We can question and object to anything we want. I love that we all have a voice and can control the volume of that voice. We have a voice and a say in our government, and I think that is incredibly awesome. I am also grateful for our independence- not only as a nation, but as individuals as well. Today, we have the ability to rely on ourselves. I love that about America. One can excel and succeed in society despite his family, location, and past. In America, opportunity is always present and available for those who seek it. I love that in America, we are a family of individuals. (Oh, and the fact that you can get a cheeseburger at about any restaurant you enter doesn’t hurt either.)
One thing that makes America one of a kind is all the diversity. I'm not only referring to the people though. The American nation is unique. I love, love, love to travel. There is nothing better than getting to experience a new part of America (Aspen is next on my list). You can go to NYC and stroll in Times Square, or travel an hour and hit the slopes in Bellafonte. America is awesome because you will always be able to learn something new, go somewhere new, and just always have an oppurtunity at new experiences. That's what's great about America. And yes Alison, there's awesome food too!
America is, in my opinion, the best country on Earth. Our government, though obviously corrupted in some ways, guarantees us so many more rights than many other nations give their citizens. We have a capitalistic society in which we can move up in our world. We are not stuck in a caste system that disables any upward movement. Not to mention, we have choices! Today I can want to be a neurosurgeon, and tomorrow a pig farmer! It's no one's choice but my own! That freedom is Highly taken for granted in the U.S. I feel.
Our advanced culture is another thing I love about America. We have excelled so much in life that our greatest worry every morning may be, what do I wear? or did I do my homework last night? How beautiful is our world when we Know that we will have food to eat tomorrow, that our family members have a great chance of living through the next day and week and month, that no matter what happens, we won't go through life alone. Our lives are easy, and I thank our country for that.
America has alwayd been a nation that has survived on its own and expected no help from others. That was also true of American citizens. There were days when a man when out and tried his hardest at making a living in the hard west, or in the dusty plains of our country. They never expected help from the government, and had they been offered help, they would have been offended. This nation was founded on the principals of a free nation with little interference in the daily lives of each man. The government was there to protect the citizens. Why we have become so dependent on the government is beyond me. To me, this is one of the most childish things in our country. People who fail at their job or any other aspect of society should not be consoled by our tax dollars. Welfare and every other program designed to "help" the poor is jsut an aid to the lazy attitude of society. People complain and have pity parties for themselves when things don't go their way. Get over it! You aren't the only people in the world to have problems! What about the soldier who went to Iraq, got his leg and half of his face blown off, and now his family is suffering becasue of his loss? What about the man that lost his job after 35 years at the factory? Is everyone so conceited that they can't realize they are not alone in the club of the unfortunate? It is very childish and selfish for us as Americans to consider only ourselves as the unfortunate. We are not the only people to be facing economic hardships. Have we forgotten the Great Depression in our hurry to feel sorry for ourselves?
Americans make may of their decisions based on what their reward is going to be. If someone will get money from the government for not working at all, why would he not take it? This is one reason that our country is so lazy, they are not forced to work and what is the incentive if he would get money for not working. Americans again I do not feel are the problem, I feel that it is their actions and decisions that people would consider as "bad" in our society.
The most amazing thing in America is by far our ability to be who we want to be. If you want to become a bum, leeching off of everyone else's tax dollars go for it. Our English class might condem you but that's the beauty of being an American. If you want to travel the world and become something awesome, like a King Crab fisherman, like the guys on Deadliest Catch, you most certainly freeze your butt off to catch some nasty crabs. Women especially have millions of oppoutunities that they don't have elsewhere in the world. A woman can become anything a man can. She can even become a man, though why she would want to is way beyond my comprehension.It is just beautiful to have the oppourtunity to become whatever you want.
I love Molly's comment - "you can become anything you want to be" even if means a woman wants to become a man or vice versa. Only in America (with the possible exception of Sweden)!
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